In mobile networks that conform to third generation partnership project (3GPP) standards, a user equipment (UE) device that aims to connect to a network is typically configured to provide the network with information relating to the UE's radio capabilities. The UE may, for example, indicate which frequency bands and frequency-band combinations for carrier aggregation (CA) the UE supports. The UE may also indicate for each supported band whether half-duplex or full duplex transmission is supported. The UE may also include other information relating to band combinations or specific modes, such as information relating to handover between different band/mode combinations and handover to other radio access technologies (RATs).
The evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) standard has been designed to be very flexible with regard to the frequency bands and bandwidth with which it can be deployed. Consequently, the number of frequency bands and frequency band combinations supported by a UE can be very high. Currently, there are around 40 single-frequency bands and about 140 frequency-band combinations for CA that have been standardized worldwide. Since the E-UTRAN is being deployed in wireless networks across the globe, it is likely that many more bands and band combinations will be standardized in the future. This poses a problem because mobility management entities (MME), which are a core network nodes in evolved packet core networks that are associated with the E-UTRAN, are currently configured to store only up to 510 octets of radio capability information about a UE that connects to the network. If a UE vendor targets to support world-wide roaming and the UE is expected to provide the UE's complete radio capability information, the amount of radio capability information the UE is configured to send can easily occupy more than the 510 octets of space that the MME has allotted for the UE's radio capability information. As a consequence, some of the radio capability information provided by the UE will not be taken into account by the network, and certain features may not work even if they are supported both by the UE and by the network.
Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of is thereby intended.